What Is Gingivitis? Gingivitis Meaning, Signs, Causes and How It Is Reversed

The commonest sign is bleeding when you brush or floss. Healthy gums do not bleed. Other signs are gums that look red or dark pink instead of pale pink, feel puffy or tender, and breath that is persistently unpleasant.

Gingivitis is often painless, which is why people ignore it. If bleeding has been going on for more than a week or two, it is not something to wait out. The bleeding gums page covers other causes, and our guide on swollen gums explains what puffiness can mean.

The cause is plaque that is not cleaned away at the gum line. Bacteria in it irritate the gum, and the body responds with inflammation. Tartar, which is hardened plaque, keeps the irritation going and has to be removed professionally.

Some things make gums react more strongly: smoking and tobacco, dry mouth, crowded or overlapping teeth that are hard to clean, poorly fitting dental work, hormonal changes in pregnancy and puberty, and poorly controlled diabetes. Gum swelling in pregnancy is common, and good cleaning matters even more then.

Treatment is two things. First, a dentist or hygienist scales away the plaque and tartar you cannot reach yourself, as described in our guide on teeth scaling. Second, you clean thoroughly at home: brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, angling the bristles at the gum line, and cleaning between the teeth daily.

Gums often bleed more for the first few days of better cleaning, then settle. Most people see them firm up and stop bleeding within one to two weeks. Keep going even when bleeding is heavy at the start, because it is the inflammation that causes it, not the cleaning.

If gingivitis is left, it can progress to periodontitis, where infection reaches the bone, and that loss is permanent. See the stages of gum disease, and the gum treatment page for what dentists offer in general at later stages.